


The Exodus Is Here

by A_M_Kelley



Category: Bandom, The Who
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cuddling & Snuggling, Don't Examine This Too Closely, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hope, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Post Nuclear War, References to Sex, World War III
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-28
Updated: 2013-05-28
Packaged: 2017-12-13 06:09:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/820922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_M_Kelley/pseuds/A_M_Kelley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world has gone up in flames after a nuclear war. America and most of Europe got the worst of it but John and Keith try to carry on with their lives like nothing has changed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Exodus Is Here

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Baba O'Riley by The Who (obviously).
> 
> For some reason I always felt like this song had post apocalyptic undertones to it, so I decided to flirt with the idea. This AU takes place in modern times and John and Keith are both teenagers. This is after a fictional "World War III" scenario.

John and Keith could be found stumbling around in the last remnants of a grocery store, in a crater where a nuclear missile had struck the better side of Shepherd's Bush. It was here where they found themselves scavenging for food and other useful supplies. Their usual place they went to was devoid of anything savory and John refused to feed Keith rotten produce.

This was somewhere new, somewhere they hoped they could find a good meal or at least a few canned foods. They hadn't been prepared for an apocalypse but they'd be damned if they didn't take precautions. John and Keith had lived by a particular set of rules in order to survive and stay healthy.

Never get any fresh or unsealed food because chances are it wasn't very fresh or safe for that matter. Fruit was an exception. If it looked fresh and ripe then it was okay but if it was crawling with mold then obviously no. Meat pretty much dropped from their diet unless it was canned, but other than that it was bearable. Neither one of them complained, really, as long as they had some form of nourishment.

"Find anythin'?" John called over to Keith, watching the young man turn over rubble left and right before he raised his head to shake it slowly. He looked disappointed. "Keep searchin'. We're bound to find somethin'."

John had sounded genuinely positive and it made Keith feel confident, because if John started to give up Keith didn't know what he would do. He was right, though. There HAD to be something here. Sure, they were trudging through a crater and most of the buildings on this street were close to non-existent, but things could make it through even the worst conditions.

After all, Keith and John were still kicking.

John eventually found a few scorched cans of what he guessed were beans and an intact fruit cocktail that would serve as dessert. Keith nearly tackled John with delight, pressing kisses all over his face as he called John his knight in shining armor. It was refreshing to see Keith still act like his silly and lively self despite the turn of events.

Some days they searched the city for nothing in particular. Maybe they were trying to find survivors, John mused once, but they never came across another human being. It was almost as if they were the last ones on the planet. Keith thought that was a silly notion, claiming that if they had to re-populate the world they'd be royally screwed.

Other than the occasional joke or two, Keith never fully acknowledged this new world. John had been so preoccupied with keeping Keith safe that he too lost sight of how things really were. But maybe that didn't matter. Maybe nothing had changed, at least not by much. They were transported back to the dark ages as far as technology goes but survival was just the same as any other situation. Shopping at a grocer was no different from scavenging a ruin now.

Shelter wasn't very difficult. Most buildings that were far from any missile blast radius were still intact. At first they had felt bad for intruding in someone else's home but after awhile they got over it. No one was obviously missing them or else they'd be there. Pantries were almost always raided before hand but sometimes they got lucky.

Nights were John's favorite time, when it was peaceful and everything almost felt normal. Like him and Keith were back in their flat lying together in each other's arms, cuddling and kissing until sleep claimed them both. John even still played with Keith's hair as they laid there basking in the normality of this moment.

After a long day of surviving they found a nice little place to sleep for the night, thanking the heavens that it was a flat with a warm bed and clean sheets. John pulled off his shoes and practically threw himself on the bed with all his exhaustion. Keith giggled and climbed onto the bed, crawling up next to John as he snuggled into the only other person he needed in this whole world.

John sighed contentedly, wrapping an arm around Keith to pull him closer as the brown eyed boy placed a warm hand on his chest. This still felt the same. John's eyes were closed but he was still very much awake, knowing Keith loved to chat him up before they fell asleep. He said it was something about wanting their last moments to be meaningful and loving in case they didn't wake up the next morning. John never complained with that logic.

Keith liked talking about old times when they went on dates or just stayed home and watched movies. Talking about hilarious videos on YouTube they'd never see again or songs they'd never hear again. Friends they would never talk to again. Keith would often admit to missing his drum kit and the way it felt to play with John plucking away on his bass, trying to imitate songs from their favorite bands.

John just listened. He loved the sound of Keith's voice filling his ears as he drifted off to sleep and the slight tickle of finger tips drawing circles on his chest. Besides, Keith had a more colorful way of telling stories anyway. He'd focus on the good times and remember them in such vivid ways that John was almost convinced they had experienced two very different versions.

Keith remembered them so vividly because memories were all they had now and he didn't want to let them slip away. He needed to pretend that this was the past in order to remain sane. John never realized just how important he was to Keith, especially now that the world was in chaos. And John needed Keith just as much, if not more.

John would pull Keith closer and kiss him deeply until they were both fighting for air. Keith would initially be upset that he was interrupted mid-sentence but would let it slide since he'd much rather use his lips to kiss John all over. It would start out playful, it always did, with little nips here and there and half chuckles falling into soft kisses. But teasing would turn into groping and innocence would turn into sin.

Keith would let John take control of the kiss and let himself be pinned to the mattress by his wrists, being kissed within an inch of his life. John would bite and lick into Keith's mouth until their lips were red and sore from abuse. The foreplay would fall short when one or both of them got fed up with it and demanded for more contact and it usually led to Keith on his back or on top of John, making love as if it was their last time together.

They'd wake up the next day and life would go on.

But something about tonight was off. John had noticed that Keith wasn't as chatty as he usually was and it worried him greatly. Keith didn't seem very exhausted so much as anxious and it was new to John. He couldn't remember the last time he saw Keith so nervous and scared after the bombs had dropped. He squeezed Keith's shoulder affectionately, looking down into dark sad eyes.

"What's wrong?" John asks, sounding curious and concerned about Keith's mental state.

"Just thinkin' is all," Keith replied, voice soft and devoid of any positive emotion. He laid his head on John's chest just under his chin and sighed deeply, something obviously wrong.

"Penny for your thoughts?" John pressed, wanting to figure out what had Keith troubled so he could help him. "Please, talk to me."

There was a long moment of silence in which John thought Keith might have fallen asleep but his breathing was to controlled and tight. John looked down at his companion and shook him gently, coaxing Keith to just let it out. Keith sighed again and caved.

"Do ya think things are gonna go back to the way they were?" Keith asked with a murmur, burrowing himself into John's side further, trying to hide his face from his lover.

It was a serious question, John knew, so he replied with his most honest and serious answer in return.

"I suppose they will," John shrugged, staring up at the blank ceiling. "In time, mankind will rebuild and overcome. It may not be as we would've hoped but the effort is worth more that the result."

Keith circled his fingers on John's chest like he always did and John squeezes him tighter, feeling the tense muscles relax in his arms.

"One day the fires will be doused and the ruins of homes and corner stores will be rebuilt into something new. The people will crawl outta their holes to watch the sun rise in a different light and the world will sing once again."

"Do you really think that?" Keith whispered, voice cracking ever so slightly.

"I do."

Keith seemed satisfied with that answer. He sat up to look John in the eye and licked his lips contemplative, blinking a few times to digest all John had said.

"And you'll be here? With me?" Keith looked worried as if John would actually say no. He felt silly for thinking that.

"'Course I will, Keith. I stuck by you through worse," John said, reaching out to smooth a hand through Keith's hair before cupping the side of his face. "You're not gettin' rid of me that easily."

Keith smiled warmly and giggled a little, feeling safe enough with that answer to hold John to it. He bent down and pecked John on the lips, smiling even as he pulled back. John pulled him down again so he could hold him and chuckled deep in his throat, feeling content that Keith was no longer distraught. John understands now that Keith didn't need to be reassured about a future for humanity.

Keith just needed to know that John still believed in a future.


End file.
